After a decade in the making, the new The Joe Haegert Community Health Centre aims to give vulnerable Victorians a permanent place to access care.
After years of providing care from mobile clinics and makeshift hotel rooms, the Cool Aid Society is opening its second permanent community health centre in Victoria.
The Joe Haegert Community Health Centre, located on Burnside Road East, is set to open Sept. 9.
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The centre will provide primary health care to people living in the downtown core who are unhoused or at risk of becoming unhoused, as well as people experiencing mental health challenges or substance use issues.
Cool Aid physician Dr. Ryan Mader says there is a significant need for primary care in the community, particularly for people who have traditionally faced barriers to accessing health services.
“There is a huge need in the community for primary care,” Mader said. “Specifically, the mandate for Cool Aid Society is to provide care to people who’ve traditionally been marginalized.”
More than 2,500 patients have relied on Cool Aid’s health services, including care provided on the streets and at the organization’s medical facility on Johnson Street.
The new centre is named after Dr. Joe Haegert, who founded Cool Aid’s health care program.
Mader says the facility will bring together doctors, nurses, social workers and other health-care providers under one roof.
For David R, who previously experienced homelessness and now lives in supportive housing through Cool Aid, the opening is a welcome development.
“I think this is going to be a wonderful assistance, wonderful help for the community,” Patience said.
The new centre has been about a decade in the making, with plans and community fundraising getting underway during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cool Aid Health and Support Services Director Mary Chudley says the organization is excited to create a safe and permanent place for people to access care.
A conversation with Cool Aid Health and Support Services Director Mary Chudley. Reporter Tchadas Leo asks Chudly what are the biggest barriers in accessing health care for marginalized people in Victoria below:
“We are so excited to be able to provide a patient home for so many folks who might want and need a safe place to come,” Chudley said.
Cool Aid’s mobile clinics will continue operating, but Chudley says the new facility will give health-care workers a permanent place to work as a team while allowing more services to be delivered from one location.
The Joe Haegert Community Health Centre is scheduled to open Sept. 9 on Burnside Road East.
For more information about the centre and who can access its services, visit the Cool Aid Society website.
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